Bob Ong’s Macarthur
His 6th book, Macarthur, is not a collection of stories, jokes or essays from the internet like the way his previous books are patterned. Neither is it about Bob Ong’s supposed life experiences. This time, the book ventures more into the sad realities of being poor and underprivileged in the country via Voltron, Jim, Noel and Cyrus’ tupsy-turvy lives. Yes people, Bob Ong has sunk his teeth into writing non-fiction.
Macarthur, as in General Douglas McArthur of WWII, is actually about human feces, well at least for me in it’s lightest sense. But if you dig deeper into the story, it’s not just about Voltron’s feces or the regurgitated food in his throat: the book is about breaking the bad habits that we do over and over again. For some, breaking the rules is fun but if you break the LAW, get in jail and hurt others in the process, that’s misdemeanor.
We’ve heard stories about dirty and indecent policemen who take care of certain snatchers, robbers and some other hooligans only to set them loose on the streets and loot innocent bystanders. These policemen would then act to chase or imprison these criminals but in truth, they get a share in their bounty. Of course, policemen are just small fry when compared to the big time thieves: public officials. But let me make it clear: stealing in any way is still bad, whether you steal from the streets or from the national treasury. Either way is evil and should not be tolerated.
But the ills of our society do not end with theft, drugs, unemployment and poverty. It includes our social, justice, political, economic and agricultural systems. When I look at these things, the solution I think of is rather inappropriately simple: initiating the change within ourselves first. Yeah, I know, cliche, cliche…but what else can we do? People Power has long been drained of it’s convincing capabilities, impeachment, The Office of the Ombudsman and the Blue Ribbon Committee are just practical jokes and the Genuine Opposition is a paradox! I mean, really, what other things can we think of to solve our rotting core systems? And remember, Philippines is the MOST CORRUPT in Asia this year. It may seem a small solution and an incomprehensible one at that, but it seems to make a lot more sense than to give our continued support to the crackpots up in Congress.
This is what I feel whenever I read a Bob Ong book; vigilant and overly conscious and concerned about the country. Although his last four books, including this one, are not as funny as his first two, I still love Bob Ong’s efforts to reach out and appeal to our patriotic senses. Even with his small and unassuming books, the man tries his best to help and encourage us to do better for the nation. And I second his motion.
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i think this work is not non-fiction, it is fiction although the plot is not that far from reality.
actually bob ong fanatic din ako.in fact isa ko s mga unang nkbili ng 1st book nya.kaso d2 sa huli prang disappointing.abnormalities nga cguro.kc nbitin ako s kwento…prang tinamad n cya magsulat at tinapos n lng agad2 ung kwento.i mean sa 3/4 ng book dun p lng ung climax e tpos bglang ala na..prang i am legend gnun.minadali.parang mga teleserye s dos at syete.haba haba ng istorya,paulit ulit pero pg mttpos n kontrata biglang may mamamatay n lng,massiraan ng bait,babait at llitaw ung killer…he could have done better.un lng gs2 ko svhn..pero bob ong fan p irn ako..la nmn tau perpekto pero pg mali nmn e sana wg n purihin.svhn lng totoo.
i mean ala nmn tao perpekto
ahm..mejo nakakabitin ung libro..dapat hinabaan pa niya..haha..baka naman gagawa siya ng part II
Ok tong libro na to. Pag nakakabasa k ng mga gnitong libro parang nakikita mo kahinaan m bilang Pilipino which is good dahil bago ka lumakas kelangan m muna malaman kung saan ka mahina. Sa totoo lang eh buong buo yung kwento niya at nangyari lang sa maikling panahon. Ang gusto ko pati kay Bob ong eh yung may mga challenge siya binibigay sa mga mambabasa niya. Pag sineryoso mo basahin yung book niya at isinapuso mo itatanong mo sa sarili mo kung bakit ganon ang title ng book.
I know bob ong writes with reasons at may gusto siya iparating satin lahat kaya kahit fiction, non-fiction, drama, o suspense man isulat niya eh mas worth reading parin dahil may aral ka makukuha..hehe
.,AHM,SIGURO NGA MAY MGA BAGAY NA GINAWA SI BOB ONG DUN SA STORY NA BITIN..PERO SA BANDANG HULI KAHIT SANG STORY GUMAGANDA PA DIN UNG ENDING DB???AHM..NUNG BINASA KO YUNG STAINLESS PARANG NAISIP KO NA NAGPAPAHIWATIG CIA NG IBA NMANG CONCEOT YUNG GAGAWIN NIA LIKE NUNG MCARTHUR…PERU PINAKITA NIA P DEN YUNG MGA NANGYAYARI DITO SA PILIPINAS.SANA GUMAWA P DIN CIA NG LIBRO…UN LANG……….
This would be my second BO book, the first one being Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang Mga Pilipino. This, I think, would be one of BOs slight failures. The narrative is stiff and trying-hard. Reminds me of those omg!-i-need-to-write-about-the-society-in-order-to-be-meaningful movies by Lino Broca (spelling?). Nice try, though, Bob Ong, and I appreciate the moral. But I would appreciate a fresher portrayal of poverty in the country, which had always been your trademark. Only that in this attempt, you have totally deviated away from the BO we used to love … tsk. At fewer than 200 pages, there was very little attempt to try to explore the characters at their depth. Tama yung sinabi ng isang internet reader. “Parang tinamad na siya … “
the best pa din yun THE DARK KNIGHT
ahm… s tingin ko maganda din yung macarthur, kasi of all his books yun na lang di ko nababasa. i mean among his 6 books na alam kong na-publish na nya, yun na lang yung ini-imagine ko yung kwento… ahm… to mr. bob ong.. keep up! madami kang napapasaya and nae-enlighten na tao,, mostly mga true blooded filipinos.. woah.. hope to meet you!!
I’ve read all Bob Ong books from ABNKKBSNPLKo hanggang sa MacArthur. I enjoyed reading all these books. Kaya i bought all of them. Maraming natututunan… mga riyalidad… at marami pang iba. Nagiging mulat ako sa mga pangyayari sa ating lipunan at sa mundong aking ginagalawan. Talagang napapaisip ako whenever I read those books. Dapat malawak ang pag-iisip ng mga taong magbabasa ng Bob Ong books. These books really make sense. Lahat pwedeng maka-relate. All people from different walks of life. Sana may susunod pa uli.
sa tinagal tagal ku ng mgbasa ng bob ong books…d ku tlaga ma getz kng bket MACARTHUR amg pmagat n2????tsk…tsk..ang bobo ku talaga oh…sow? bket nga??
PARA SAKIN THE BEST ITONG BOOK NA TO! ayos ung kwento ni bob ong.. may mga nagsasabing bitin, pero nde.. sobrang buong buo ung kwento.. sobrang astig tlga… pangalawa ko nlng ngayon ang kwentong chalk…
MACARTHUR dahil sa taeng pabalik balik.. o dahil dn siguro sa ending…
…I’ve read all the books of Bob Ong and i hope,Bob ong will have another book after Macarthur…cause i very admire the works of Bob ong..i hope he will grant my wish.
for me,he is a real writer, keep up the Good work Mr. Bob Ong! i hope you continue writing novel.
Para sa lahat ng mga nagsasabing bitin ang MacArthur ni Bob Ong:
So funny. It seems na binasa nyo nalang basta-basta at hindi inintindi yung laman ng book. Dudes and Dudettes, it’s reality. Gustong ipaalam ni Bob Ong kung ano ang tunay na nangyayari sa buhay ng mga taong lubog sa kahirapan at pinabayaan na laman ng society! Hindi nya yun sinulat at pinublish para maaliw kayo sa story!
Bitin? LOL. Kung gusto ayaw nyong mabitin, magbasa kayo ng novel! Yung 500 pages!
his next book/s will be fictions. Hopefully the 7th will come out on October this year.
Abangan si Rogeli Manglicmot
bak8 my mga taong nttman sa mga topic na likha ng malokong author?, dahil sa mga teoryang markismo, romantisismo @tbp. na teorya…….
ako ay panatiko ni pareng Bob. Isa lang masasabi ko, mula pa sa ABNKKBSNPLAKo!, Bakit Baligtad Magbasa ng Libro ang mga Pilipino, Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas, Alamat ng Gubat, Stainless Longganisa, at Hanggang MacArthur, maganda lahat ng aral ang mapupulot mo dito. kung kasing lawak mo mag isip si pareng Bob, matatalima mo ang gusto niyan iparating sa lahat ng mambabasa. hindi ako magaling sa ingles kaya tagalog itong komento ko. paki message nalang po ako sa ako_ang_pinakamagaling_na_tao_01@yahoo.com sa inyong bayolenteng reaksyon kung meron man. salamat. magandang araw.
yes maybe its quite disappointing for others.. it just so happen that the last book was not written in such away bob ong usually do… but if you view it in a wider perspective… it still reflects the pessimisms of life.. but not in a humorous way…
there was once an article that gave us new words in the Filipino language, such as kukurikapu, bakokang, baktol, and the title for the book MacArthur.
The word MacArhur, according to the the article, refers to feces that remains in the toilet bowl after flushing it several times, personifying the line “I shall return.” The choice for the title MacArthur is with reference to the chapter where you will find Cyrus being followed Topak after stealing two necklaces, and tyring to hide five packs of shabu. After many attempts to flush the last pack of shabu in the toilet bowl, he just resorted to swallowing the last pack even if it came from the toilet bowl.
i like mac arthur, not just bob ong wrote it but because it talks about the reality that is happening in our society right now…im looking forward to read more books like mac arthur…..
like mac arthur, not just becuase bob ong wrote it but because it talks about the reality that is happening in our society right now…im looking forward to read more books like mac arthur…..
Bob oNg RuLEZ mY woRLd!!
boGAloiDz anD abnoRmaliTEs–thE besT woRd eVer…!
i liked all of his books
…its all fact..
Mganda tong buk na to. Pra sa ngssabing bitin.. tma ung iba, ndi nyo naintindihan ung laman ng libro. Subukan nyong bsahin ulit, malamang magets nyo ung mas malalim na meaning ng libro. Hindi lang jebs na ayaw lumubog ang meaning ng Macarthur; besides,tinutukoy rin n2 ung droga, na ndi mwalawala sa lipunan.. balik ng balik.. ung mga sakit sa ulo ng bansa.. ung shabu, ung mga adik, ung mga trantadong pulis, ung mga mgnanakaw at kung anu-ano pang bisyo ng lipunan na kht anong gwin ay ayaw maalis. Ito ung pngalawang buk na nbasa ko written by BO, at putek! ncra pa ung first pages nung hniram xken.. bad3p.. all in all, the book was very good.. We shud worship BO.. ^^,
wooh,.galing tlga ng de uling n utak ni bob ong sana de uling na rin sakin para gumana,.hehe,.actually napahanga aq ni BO sa mga buks nya hehe,.sana aq din mapahanga ko sya (wahh,.asa nan ako),.but i think all of us can freely dream naman,.ryt?,.qng ang sagot mo HINDI,.wahaha,.Pangit ka,.qng sa tingin mo pangit ;ka,.,.according what i read nga pla sa newspaper ,.nag nu-number one na si BO sa mga bata,.sanba sa mga isip bata din,.hehe thats according to my blooming head from the north,.hehe,.basta gling tlga ni BO,.ewan ko nga kung anu merong utak sya eh,.siguro my sinasagot muna siyang formula o gumagawa ng ritual bago sumulat,.but i think hindi un eh,.baka laking STAR MARGARINE sya,..hehe,.peo bakit ganun kung laking star margarine sa ,.bkt ndi sya tumangakad ,.wahha,.napunta siguro sa utak nya lahat,.kaya ngaun puro star n ang linalabas ng utak nya,.wohohoho,.according to my research AGAIN,,.hinuhugot daw ni bob-ong ang mga salita nya sa panaginip nya?,.ahmm tama ba?,.hehe,.mhlig daw kce syang m2log eh at mag basa ng libro sa pelikula nga lng,.but i think,.oops,.wlang kokontra,.sa isip ko lang naman eh,.aq n siguro ang papalit sakanya someday (wooh,.madami pa akong kakaining LUGAW!)
unang book plang na isinulat ni bob ong nag nabasa ko.. actually inumpisahan ko lang un nung isang gabee, wala sa bahay sina ate.. nabored aq at ngtingin ng mga libro.. at nkita ko nga ung ABNKKBSNPLK0! sa unang tingin sa libro.. alang dating sa akin.. pero nung inumpisahan ko nang basahin , namnamin(parang pagkain lang) at gmawqa ng mgA larawan sa isip ko.. lalo aqng naxcte basahin..naka2inspire siya.. ang kwento ng buhay nia,, parang nkita ko sa kanya ang sarili ko simula ng grade school( pati mga ekssena sa class room lalo na ung pagbenta ng mga pagkaen sa tray bit2x ng mga teacher’s pet at ung paghagis ng mga notebooks nila! ngyari dn un sa section namen..)
nkita ko dn ang sarili ko sa kanya nung tmuntong sya sa high school at college( meju naawa aq sa kanya nung nareject sya ng prof. nia at nung ngkasakit sya bisperas ng finals nila,,
hanga tlaga aq sa kanya dhl sa kabila ng mga pagsubok at balakid sa buhay nia ay.. nakaya pdn nia ang hamon ng buhay,, nung nadapa siya.. pilit syang bumangon.. sana kasing tatag dn aq ni bob ong..
at sana dn ay mabasa ko lahat ng isinulat nia.. basta,, ang galing nia .. everything was perfect.. ung pagsa2larawan ng bawat pangya2ri.. lahat detalyado.. kea kht alng drawing ok lang..
hope to see you bob ong! huhuntingin kita!!!!!!!!!!
bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!
pipilitin ko kht mahirap
hahaha! kevin.. mangarap ka..
waahahahaha! natawa aq nung cnabi mo na ikaw ang pa2lit sa kanya..
hahaha
ok ok ok bob ong is my idol ,.,..,.,..,<